Where does Issa Diop fit for West Ham United this season?

It has been a mixed bag of a season so far for Issa Diop. After impressing in his first season at for West Ham, Diop finds himself stuck on the outside of Manuel Pellegrini’s preferred XI.

We’ve got Diop, Issa Diop, I just don’t think you understand! These were the chants and songs coming out of many West Ham fan’s mouths after Diop’s stellar first season in the Premier League.

After coming over from Toulouse in a big-money move, Diop showed that he had the pace and physical to be a quality defender in the Premier League. This season has been a different story. Diop has not been awful this season but has simply lacked a bit of something.

He seems off the pace a bit, and the Hammers have had some very shaky defensive performances with Diop commanding the back-line. After the Hammers run of poor form this season, culminating in a yellow card accumulation suspension for Diop, Pellegrini slotted Fabian Balbuena into the XI and has not looked back since.

Say what you want about Fabian Balbuena, but the Hammers have kept clean sheets with Balbuena in the defense away to Chelsea and Southampton in recent weeks. This is concerning not only for Diop’s development as a young player but also a potential dilemma should a big club come in for him over the next year or so.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 28: Andriy Yarmolenko of West Ham United celebrates with teammate Issa Diop after scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United at Vitality Stadium on September 28, 2019 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images) /

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Over the summer, Diop was linked with massive moves to Manchester United and PSG, none of which came to fruition. However, should Balbuena keep his spot in the XI and play well, it puts an interesting situation on West Ham’s hands.

Diop will want consistent playing time, but is that something the Irons can afford to give him right now? It will set up interesting transfer windows for Hammers fans in the future. I think Issa Diop can become a great defender in the Premier League, and I do not think that the Hammers should even consider selling such a hot prospect. He just needs time to continue to grow and get back into the form that he was last year.

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However, at the same time, I do respect Manuel Pellegrini’s decision to put him on the bench, as the results have been much better with Ogbonna and Balbuena as the center-back pairing. Hopefully, the Hammers can find a way to integrate Diop back into the team, or else we could see other clubs start to circle around him, trying to pluck him away from East London.